Convicted
by jimalim320
Summary: Alison has been convicted for the murder of Mona, but little does she know Mona is alive, and being held captive with the other girls in A's dollhouse. Once she is released from jail, it is up to her and the other loved ones to bring the girls home safe an sound. All cannon pairings, Emison pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello all! So PLL is coming back soon , but it's still a long wait for us die hard fans, so I thought I'd right something to help hold us over until then. This fic follows the current PLL timeline and starts off with the girls being in the Dollhouse and Alison finding out the details. It will probably be a short multi-chapter fic that will end shortly after the girls are rescued and reunited with their family. Please review and share! Thanks so much for reading! Chapter 2 is coming soon.**

Alison couldn't fall asleep as per usual. Living in this hell, or jail cell rather, oh who are we kidding same difference really, made it impossible to feel any sense of normality. The essential task of falling asleep became somewhat of a marathon. Every night its sweet release evaded her for hours upon hours until one night it escaped her altogether. Welcome to the rest of your life. Her mind constantly raced with unsettling thoughts. Nightmares that haunted her during the day.

Before the trial the thoughts that kept her up at night were consumed of the mistakes she'd made in life, how horribly she had treated people, her family, her friends. But now that she has been convicted, those thoughts changed to those of the future. The future she would no longer have, growing old with her friends, falling in love, getting married, possibly having children. All things she never took the time to think about before. Alison was always a girl who was set in the present. The future was a construct she did not care to waste her time dreaming about. But now that she was condemned to a life in prison, and the possibility of a future filled with all of life's cliques had been taken from her, Alison couldn't help but think about what could have been, what she would do, and who she would spend that time with.

Although it was the girls who were always first and foremost on Alison's mind in a situation like this. How she wished she hadn't dragged them into this mess, into her train wreck of a life. It was always the girls who made life worth living for Alison, although she sure as hell didn't treat them that way. She let her pride get in the way of the relationships she was secretly desperate to keep. Which ultimately led to them leaving her, as they should have long ago. Alison didn't blame the girls for it either, she was just happy they got out while they could, or so she thought. She had heard the girls were taken in to custody shortly after her conviction. She guess she should have figured that would happen, all the lies and secret the "kept them close" ultimately binded them to the same fate.

It wasn't until Mr. and Mrs. Hastings informed Alison of the girl's abduction that she truly began to realize how tangled their web of lies had become. She felt ridiculous explaining "A" to Spencer's parents, and maybe that's a reason why the girls never told their parents in the first place. The whole thing seemed like something straight out of some new age horror movie. How would anyone believe this was actually happening, especially the police? She couldn't believe "A" had taken them, but then again when has "A" ever disappointed, everything that bitch does defies all laws and humanity.

It was this recent news that has kept Alison awake these past few days. 74 hours since they had been taken. Why hadn't the cops figured out anything yet? As the days grew into nights Alison cried for them, wished for them, and even prayed for them, something Alison has never done in her life. She wasn't a religious person; her family wasn't and therefore wasn't forced to attend church every Sunday unlike the majority of the population of upper-class Roeswood. It wasn't that she didn't believe in God, she just found it hard to believe in a God who allowed a sick son of a bitch like "A" to do such horrible things. But nevertheless, in times like these, as many humans do, believers and non-believers alike she turned to prayer as if it was some sort of final cry for help in a sea of tearful pleas.

She had been lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, in a comatose state, for what felt like hours. Her imagination running wild, images of her friends being tortured and scared, in turned tortured her mind. She didn't even feel the tears that fell down her cheeks, soaking her pillow below. The sobs that racked through her body grew more violent as the tears fell harder. She brought her knees to her chest, clutching tightly as if it was the only thing keeping her from physically falling apart. It was a normal thing these days. Somewhere between the sunset and her eventual 3 measly hours of restless sleep if they ever came, Alison would completely break down. They say the first night is the hardest, but for Alison, the longer she was in there and her friends were held captive the longer and harder she cried. Desperately trying to purge her soul of all the heartache the 5 of them have endured over the years.

She didn't hear the guard walk down the hall to her cell, nor did the sound of the cell door opening register, over Alison's loud sobs. It wasn't until the guard flipped on the lights; Alison even knew someone was there. "Inmate DiLaurentis," the guard projected, scaring Alison nearly to the point of falling off her bed. She quickly brushed the tears from her cheeks and stood up, tall and straight, as if at attention for an army commander. "Grab your things and follow me." She did as instructed without question, severely confused as to what was happening. Little did she know freedom was waiting right around the corner…


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey thanks for all the favorites and follows on this story. I'm glad to see people have interest. As promised here is chapter 2. Please note I am usually a one-shot writer so my updates will probably be short, I'm shooting for 1000 words per chapter but that doesn't always work lol. Anyway this story is going to take place over a short period of time so in order to get a proper length there is going to be a lot of internal narration. There will be more dialogue in upcoming chapters for sure, but as for now it's mainly Alison POV. I believe Alison is such a great character (and Sasha is such an amazing actress) who does not get enough screen time so I want the focus of this story to be on her, and how this whole mess has affected her. Please keep reviewing/messaging to let me know what you think! Thanks for sticking around!**

The walk down the dark corridor was long and cold. Alison figured it was probably nearing midnight. At this time of night the power shuts off, other than a few emergency lights located near the exits, in order to save taxpayers money on electricity. They had been walking in silence for 3 minutes, the guard not a much mentioning where they were going.

"Am I being relocated?" Alison asked reverently as she followed the guard around the corner. She didn't understand what was going on. She knew she was eventually going to be transferred to a more secure location since the jail in Rosewood was only for small crime, not something as serious as murder which she got convicted for. To say she was scared to be relocated was an understatement. Being an innocent, even though no one knew it, 17 year old girl, locked in a prison full of real criminals, scared the crap out of an otherwise strong and fearless Alison DiLaurentis. She had no idea what was going to happen to her in the real big house, but she had heard stories, and seen enough movies and tv shows to know it wasn't going to be pretty. Still, she thought, it couldn't be any worse than whatever the hell "A" was putting the girls through right now, that is if he hasn't killed them off yet…

"My lawyer said the move wasn't happening for at least another week." Alison chimed in again, hoping the guard would be able to confirm or deny that the transfer was happening. The guard made no notion of response to Alison's questions, and continued walking down the hall as if he couldn't be bothered by the girl. It was infuriating, not only was she wrongfully convicted by a justice system set up to protect the freedoms of those who face injustice, but now she was being denied the right to know what is happening within her sentence. It was as if as soon as the judge and jury deemed her a murderer she was no longer considered human. Like she was stripped of her basic human rights and was now condemned to be a slave to the man for the rest of her life.

All of the guards at the prison treated her with absolutely no respect. Even the other inmates, who were incarcerated for crimes like petty theft and tax evasion, treated her like some sort of monster. She figured it wasn't the most surprising thing, though. The defense did a great job making her look like a soulless animal who inflicted a lot of physical damage on Mona, letting her bleed to death, rather than killing her swiftly with a gun or something. The crime scene photos and video still haunt Alison day after day, making reality impossible to escape even for the slightest second. She was horrified and disgusted that someone would do such a thing, and then go to the lengths of setting her up to take the fall. She knew it had to be A's handiwork.

Alison knew she was a horrible person growing up, being the mean girl everyone feared, but she wondered who the hell did she piss off so much that they would do all of these things, not only to her, but to her friends, just for revenge? None of it made sense. That question was something she had spent years trying to figure out, and she couldn't feel farther from the truth than ever. "A" has done countless horrible things to them throughout the years, and the more "A" piles on, the harder it gets to identify the bitch. And now that "A" has taken the girls and done god knows what with them, Alison was beyond livid. She swore on everything that means anything to her that even though she wouldn't be much help, being locked up, she would do everything in her power to bring that bitch down. She refused to let him win, especially now that her friends were at risk.

Alison couldn't handle being left in the dark anymore so she did something in other circumstances would have gotten her into serious trouble. She yanked on the guard's arm forcing him to look at her, but before the guard could begin to berate Alison for her behavior a familiar voice chimed in, "Alison DiLaurentis." Alison looked up in confusion, her eyes meeting those of a uniformed Toby Cavanaugh. What was he doing here? And why at this time of night? Oh my god, what happened to the girls, was the only thought that remained on Alison's mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey all! Since the last chapter was so short I wanted to get another update in today for you. Hopefully I'll have chapter 4 up this weekend. The story will start to pick up a bit from here so thanks to everyone who's stuck around, I know it's been a slow start. Thanks again for the faves/follows, and as always review and let me know your thoughts!**

"Toby?" Alison questioned even more confused than she was before. Surely Toby wasn't here to escort her to the penitentiary in Philadelphia. Don't they send more experienced cops for that kind of responsibility?

The guard who retrieved Alison from her cell chimed in before Alison could question Toby further, "You're lucky Officer Cavanaugh is here to release you, on special orders from Detective Tanner, otherwise you would've just bought yourself more jail time."

Did she hear that right? Alison, who had turned her attention to the guard while he was talking, whipped around to look at Toby. "Release? What? Tob— " The guard cleared his throat loudly, as a sign to Alison that an inmate referring to an officer by his first name was not tolerated. Alison got the, not so subtle hint and continued, "Officer Cavanaugh? Is this true?" She took a few steps closer to him, desperate for answers, she wanted to hug him, grab his hand, touch him in anyway just to make sure this was real, that he was here and not some sick nightmare, but he refrained from getting too close, before the guard decides to change his mind and bring her back to her cell.

"Yes Miss DiLaurentis," Toby was determined to sound as professional as possible while the other guard was around in order to secure his role as a police officer. Ever since he joined the force he had been treated like some labor monkey who was only needed to get coffee, run paperwork from department to department. Other than the arrest he made almost a month ago of Spencer's art stealing friend, Toby hasn't been able to do much official police work.

It was pissing him off. He went through the academy like everyone else, why was he being treated differently that the rest of his graduating class, just because of his relationship with Spencer and the others? If that was going to be a problem they shouldn't have let him take part in the training in the first place. He just thought the whole situation was like some stupid high school clique, keeping their friends close and their enemies closer he guessed. He joined the force so he could protect his friends and so far he hasn't been able to do anything to help them, and now look at the situation they are in. His hatred for the system had increased tenfold when the news of the girls had come in over the radio. They shouldn't have been arrested in the first place, and now "A" had taken them right from under the cop's noses. How the hell is that even possible? What kind of police department loses 4 inmates on the way to jail?

He continued to explain the night's events to Alison, leaving out the details until they were alone. He didn't want the word to get out about the girls without permission. Tanner was adamant that he keep things under wraps and to retrieve Alison in secret as to not spark a media fire. That was the last thing they needed at a time like this. "As you are aware the recently convicted inmates, Hastings, Marin, Fields, and Montgomery, had gone missing during transport to the facilities. Upon investigation as to their current whereabouts, we came across video footage confirming Miss Mona Vanderwaal, the victim originally believed to been murdered by yourself, is in fact alive."

Everything Toby said made Alison's brain hurt, it's like the world around her started spinning, and she was being held down by a mountain of weight. This revelation took her completely off guard. The whole thing sounded crazy, there's no way this was happening, the blood, the video of the attack, it was all so real, how do you fake a murder like that? Alison was at a loss for words, it took her a few moments to finally stutter out a sentence. "I, I-I don't understand. What does this mean?" She sat on the bench that was a couple feet away from them at the end of the hall. She needed some sort of stability to keep her grounded.

Toby stepped closer to where Alison sat down, "Miss DiLaurentis, you have been cleared of all charges in the Vanderwaal case, making you a free woman."

Even though she heard the words Toby said loud and clear she couldn't wrap her brain around the situation. She looked up at him with unshed tears in her eyes, pleading with Toby; once again praying this is real and not a dream. "This doesn't make any sense."

Toby kneeled on one knee in front of Alison to get on the same eye level, despite the dirty look from the guard who was still standing by to make sure things go according to code. "At this point in the investigation it is too early to confirm but it seems the person who kidnapped the girls, is also responsible for the faked murder of Miss Vanderwaal, as they are being held captive in the same facility. I will explain more on the way, but right now Detective Tanner wants me to get you to the crime scene where the video was found to see if you can assist us in any way. It's obvious these cases are connected and if there is any information you can provide us that can help bring these cases to a close is greatly appreciated."

Alison just nodded in agreement eager to get on the way so she could start talking to Toby not Officer Cavanaugh. She was desperate for answers, what happened to the girls? Where are they? Have they been located? The news of Mona being alive blew her mind, but then on the other hand after seeing the kinds of things "A" has been capable of it's not the most surprising thing in the world. Her main concern was the girls and their well-being. She had gotten them into this mess and she was determined to get them out. They are her friends despite everything that's happened in the past, and she more than owes it to them to get them out of whatever hell they were experiencing. Her only hope was they weren't already too late.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey all! I meant to post this chapter sooner but I saw Pitch Perfect 2 this weekend and all I could think about was Bechloe. BTW if you ship Bechloe go check out my oneshot "My Favorite Song" it's super fluffy. But anyway, it took a lot to get my head back into the Emison mind set. So sorry if this chapter is a little subpar. Also a heads up that I'm getting royally screwed over at work at the moment because we are down to only 4 employees so I've been working crazy hours. I work 36.5 hours this week and I'm only part time. I feel like I'm losing my mind. Hopefully things will turn around soon. My goal is to finish this story before the season 6 premiere. I'm thinking there will be about 3 more chapters. As always review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!**

Once Toby finished filling out the proper paperwork for Alison's release, she was free to go. She was no longer a criminal, she was free, and yet she didn't feel liberated, not when her friends were in danger. Plus it didn't help that she was still in her orange jumpsuit, apparently once you're convicted for a sentence longer than a few months they return your personal items to your family, or donate them depending on your situation. She had been sitting on the bench in the lobby waiting for Toby to finish up when a guard came up to her with a bag. "Here, it's not much but you don't want to go out like that." He handed Alison the bag which she opened revealing a pair of black sweatpants and a gray Rosewood PD gym shirt. She thanked him, to which he just nodded and pointed to the restroom.

Alison went to change out of the disgusting garment that she was almost forced to wear for the rest of her life, and ended up throwing it into the garbage with gusto, thankful to be rid of it, even though the clothes she was wearing now were less than glamorous. Still she felt like she was wearing a beautiful prom gown in comparison. She took a moment to examine herself in the mirror. She was so shocked by how changed her features were. The reflection she saw was barely recognizable, there were bags under her eyes, dark shadows encircling them as well; her normally flawless hair was frizzed and full of split ends, and her lips were badly chapped, from all the crying she supposed. The bruises from her vicious attack from some of the other inmates still faintly marred her skin. She was physically broken and battered. She could only imagine what kind of shape the other girls were in.

She was startled from her thoughts by a knock on the door, "Alison, I finished filling out your discharge papers, they just need your signature and you're free to go." Alison didn't bother to answer and just walked out of the door in response. She followed him to the counter like a lost puppy, afraid to fall too far behind, in case someone decided to take her away again. The desk clerk handed Alison a pen and she signed her name next to the little x on the line, granting her pardon. That was it, she was free. It was official, and yet it still felt like one crazy lucid dream.

Toby lead Alison out to where he parked his issued police cruiser, she was about to open the back door when Toby chimed in, "You can sit in the front. You're not an inmate anymore." Alison just looked at him as if she was disoriented. She might have only been locked up for a few weeks, but there's something about the atmosphere inside that desensitizes you to the real world outside. It's as if you forget how to function without a rigid schedule, making decisions for yourself because you have the freedom too becomes a foreign concept. He was right, she wasn't handcuffed and being pushed into the back seat like all those times before. Alison made her way to the front passenger side of the cruiser with her arms hugged tightly to her chest. It was a chilly night and she only had the oversized t-shirt the guard kindly gave her. Once in the car she noticed Toby opening the trunk, after a moment he was sitting next to her in the driver's seat. "Here," Toby handed Alison a dark grey zip up hoddie.

Alison was grateful for the gesture, but this whole situation was starting to get to her. Everything was so confusing and she felt so lost. Things had gotten so batshit crazy. Nothing made sense anymore. She began to slip into her old ways, demanding information because without it she felt powerless and she couldn't handle it any longer. She had been stripped of her humanity for too long and she needed to take control, as to not drive herself crazy. She turned to Toby and snapped, a little too harshly, "That was a very impressive act back there _Officer_ Toby, but right now I need you to cut the professional crap and talk to me like a friend." She needed to be filled in on what was going on, no more cop jargon, just straight up real talk.

Toby let out a small laugh, amused at how out of character yet perfectly typical Alison was being. In the old days before her disappearance, this kind of Alison would have scared the crap out of him. But he knew better, he knew Alison had changed, that she was a better person, and that she truly did care about the girls. She wasn't going to fool him, so her remark looking to regain control didn't scare him, just amused him. "Wow, considering you've just been released from a life sentence in prison for murder, I'll let that cut slide." He winked at her, and Alison was taken aback.

She let out a frustrated huff and fell back against the seat, closed her eyes, and after taking a few deep breaths she turned back to face Toby. "Look I'm sorry Toby. There are a hell of a lot of things I know I need to apologize to you for, and I promise I will. But right now the only things I care about are the girls."

Toby nodded in understanding, "I get it, you're frustrated and scared. I feel the same way, we all do." Toby alludes to the other girl's boyfriends, and families. The tone to his voice and the way he worded his affirmation was meant as reassurance to let Alison know that the others, who she will most likely run into tonight, aren't holding grudges against her, they don't care about the past or anything Alison may have done to wrong them or their counterparts. Their only concern was the same as Alison's, finding the girls. Alison understood and gave him a weak smile.

Once again she tried to find out more information about the situation, so she asked Toby nicely this time, "Where are they?"

Toby's face looked solemn; he wished he had more information for Alison, for himself too really. Spencer was in there as well, but he had to do whatever he could to not focus on that, otherwise he might break and being a cop that couldn't happen. He had to use his job as a way to help get her out of there. It was all he could do. "We haven't located them yet, but from the videos we found it looks like "A" has created some sort of life size dollhouse. He's keeping them secluded in exact replicas of their bedrooms, it's like he's trying to trap them in their own personal hell." He spat out the last words, getting enraged by it all. "That sick sadistic bastard."

Alison had no words; she was so appalled she felt overcome by sickness. Using the girls' rooms, which should be their happy place, their safe haven, where the go to get away from the stress and drama the world and life brings their way, and instead turned it into their personal jail cells was a cruel and sick type of torture. When the girls would finally come home there's no way they would be able to feel safe in their houses. It's like "A" was trying to strip the girls of every shred of humanity they had left and mold them into lifeless, soulless, dolls.

In thinking about it once again tears began to silently fall from Alison's eyes. She pulled the sleeves on the jacket Toby lent her down over her hands and she hugged herself tightly before turning to look out the car window, not wanting Toby to see her in this state. The tears fell faster and she struggled to stay quite. There's nothing more awkward than crying in front of someone, especially someone who you weren't super close with. She refused to turn around, determined to get herself under control, trying to calm down and failing miserably. It wasn't until Toby broke the silence that she gave in and looked him in the eyes, "Alison, there's one more thing you should know... about Mona."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey all! Sorry it took so long for me to update. I have been really sick these past few days and haven't been doing much but trying to sleep and blowing my nose. I think I'm finally starting to get over it though. Anyway I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter but I wanted to get an update for you. Thanks for all the interest in this story and for sticking around!**

" _Alison, there's one more thing you should know... about Mona."_

The ride to the farm was pretty quiet for a moment, until Toby chimed in with the news about Mona; he had Alison's undivided attention. He wasn't quite sure how to go about telling her about Mona; it seems like such a surreal thing to say. He decided to just come right out and say it, no sugar coating, no hiding, he just laid it all out there for Alison to take in. "She thinks she's you…or at least she's pretending to be for A's benefit. We aren't entirely sure yet." He waited for Alison's response before continuing with the details.

Alison furrowed her brow at Toby's information, obviously confused, "What do you mean, she thinks she's me?"

Toby elaborated by explaining the details he saw on the video footage in the barn, "Her hair has been dyed blonde, she's referring to herself as Alison, talking the way you used to, and she's wearing the yellow top from the night you went missing."

Alison took a moment to digest this information. She was disgusted. Of all the sick and twisted things "A" has done this might top the list. "Murdering" Mona and making her live as Alison. It was dehumanizing on a whole new level. Mona had already done a stint in Radley for mental issues concerning all this "A" mess. This kind of torture treatment could do some permanent damage on fragile mind like that. But then again Mona is a smart and ruthless girl, surly she is finding a way to keep sane in there. And with any luck she is helping the girls too. That's all Alison could hope for at this point in time, is that somehow through it all, they have each other to stay strong. The longer they stay in there though, the harder it'll be to keep up that strong façade. Hopefully the police find them before the façade wears off.

Alison still didn't understand what A's endgame was. Why is he doing this, and where is he going with it all? If "A" truly wants to destroy Alison why doesn't he just take her? She couldn't wrap her brain around it, none of it made sense. What is his game plan and more importantly why is this happening in the first place? What the hell did she ever do to become the star in a new age horror? She shook her head in anger and confusion, tempting Toby with another question. "If A wants an Alison doll why didn't he just take me in the first place and leave them out of this?!" She's so mad that the girls got dragged into A's master plan. She can't help but take the blame for it.

Toby knew exactly how to answer, it's as if he had been mulling it over himself trying to figure it out and this was the only conclusion he could come to. "That's the thing about A, he wants you to suffer. And what better way to do it than to replace you with someone you hated, and kidnap the only people you ever truly cared about." He was right.

Alison remained silent at this. She knew Toby made perfect sense. She turned her attention away from him like before; she didn't know what to say. She felt all the responsibility for getting the girls involved, and she felt like Toby resented that, since his friends and girlfriend were the victims instead of her. The rest of the drive remained this way. Neither knowing what to say, so instead just kept to themselves, each wrapped in their own thoughts; Toby looking for a way to make Alison feel comfortable, nor Alison hating herself and feeling the blame.

When they arrived at the scene, Toby shut the car off, but did not make a move to get out. Alison was still silent, eyes filled with tears, staring out the window. She finally turned back toward Toby, and broke the silence with a small cracking voice, side effect of the tears which were desperately trying to get out, "We _have_ to find them."

Toby leaned over in his seat and placed a hand on Alison's thigh for comfort, "Hey, Ali," he used her nickname which was a privilege reserved for the girls, but Alison didn't mind, it actually made her smile a bit, "we're gonna find them. We've got every badge in Rosewood looking for them. We're gonna get him." He lightly squeezed her leg, silently asking her to look him in the eye. Alison got the memo and looked up. Toby smiled softly at her for reassurance.

Alison smiled in return, and wiped away a few of the stray tears that lay in her cheeks, "Spencer is lucky to have you, all the girls are really." She knew how good of a friend he has been to the girls, especially Emily, and how he joined the Rosewood police to protect them. He was a great guy, and she felt terrible for ever thinking he was beneath them.

Toby moved his hand up to rest on Alison's shoulder, and looked her directly in the eyes while making the statement, "And they're lucky to have you, even though I know you're blaming yourself for all of this, but that's exactly why. No one's perfect, and everyone understands that." All he wanted to do was make sure Alison knew the past didn't matter, she has changed, everyone has, and they are all a part of the same messed up reality.

The tears began to slowly form again in Alison's eyes, touched by Toby's kind words, "I'm sorry Toby—"

He cut her off before she could continue, that wasn't important right now, "Shh, it's ok, don't worry about it. Let's just move on, and find our girls." He smiled softly again and Alison nodded in response. She took a moment to gather herself and opened the door. She waited for Toby to reach her side of the car before they made their way through the mess of cops and cars to the barn.

Alison had no idea what was in store for them, what she would see on those videos, she wasn't prepared, but she knew if she wanted to find the girls she had to put all her feelings and such aside and only focus on figuring out who the hell this sadistic bastard was and where he was keeping her friends.


End file.
